Truth Serum
by SwanQueen4tw
Summary: S2B when Regina is teaching Emma magic back in her crypt. Regina thought that after having such success with the bridge that they should continue their lesson but with mixing potions instead.


"Don't think I'm going to go easy on you Emma. You did well at the bridge but we're far from being done." I followed Regina down the stone stairs into her crypt. I didn't care much about the work. I was just happy to be on solid ground again.

"I wouldn't expect any less from you Regina." I could feel Regina's smirk. "Thank you for teaching me."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you finally came to your senses and decided to use the magic that's been inside you from the day you were born." Regina turned towards me. "You're very powerful Emma. You have the potential to be more powerful than myself and Gold combined." She paused. "But don't think for a second I won't shove one of my six inch heels up your ass if you try to overpower me."

My hands went up in surrender. "I wouldn't dare do that." Regina looked me over once more before continuing into another room.

"And lose that Godforsaken vest already." As she waved her hand, a cloud of purple smoke surrounded me.

"What the hell Regina?" When the smoke disappeared, the vest went with it.

"It was that or the flannel. I can't have you going back into Granny's without a shirt on, now can I?" I grumbled slightly as I rolled up my sleeves. I took a seat as Regina placed different jars and bottles on the stone table. "Oh good grief." Once again, I was surrounded in a cloud of smoke. This time, I was left with just the thin, black, long sleeved shirt I wore underneath.

"If you take off any more of my clothes Regina, you'll need to buy me a drink first." I glared towards the brunette and folded my arms over my chest. It was cold down here and I was wearing a thin bra.

"Oh come now dear, it's not as sexy when you glare and cross your arms. When I do it its sexy. When you do it its childish." Regina took a seat across from me.

"Can we get on with the lesson please?" Regina smirked at me.

"Fine." I watched as she mixed the different ingredients. "This is how you make a sleeping potion. It came quite in handy before your father got in the way."

"Regina…" All she did was smirk again. I continued to watch as she told me what to mix and how much. "So, if that's a sleeping potion, how are you going to test it?"

"Yes. The potion is as simple as that." She held up the small beaker the bluish liquid was in. I could see there was an inner battle between her heart and her mind. Did she want to drink it so she wouldn't have to deal with the pain of Henry not knowing her?

"Regina…" I reached across the table and placed my hand on hers. "He's going to remember you." Regina studied me a moment. Her eyes slid from our hands to my face. We sat in silence a few moments before I retracted my hand.

"It's your turn. Though, so we can actually test it, follow my instructions and make an invisibility potion."

"Why am I making an invisibility potion? I mean, how could that help any?"

"If it works, you could drink it, become invisible, and sneak into the Wicked Witch's farmhouse and see what she's up to." Regina paused a moment; an evil grin making its way to her face. "Though, if this works, you'll have to undress so you won't be seen."

My cheeks started to burn. The idea of undressing in front of Regina, invisible or not, embarrassed me. "Regina, I-"

"Do it Miss. Swan. Or I will drop you off a bridge again." I grumbled as Regina walked me through what to mix and how much. To say I was nervous was an understatement. I wanted Regina to be proud so I didn't want to screw this up. Nor did I want to be dropped off a bridge again. When I was done, the liquid was dark red and smelled tart. "Let me see." I gave Regina the vile and she inspected it. "Looks right." Her attention went from the potion to me. "Now drink it."

"W-what? Why me?" Regina's brow rose at my question. She paced the potion on the table and slid it towards me.

"Because I'm not drinking it. This is how you learn from your mistakes. Besides, you need me alive to teach you. Now, drink it." I was nervous but she had a point.

"Bottoms up." I took the beaker in hand and drank it like I did a shot. I felt warm and tingly as the potion worked its way through my system. "I love you Regina." Both hands covered my mouth and blood rushed to my cheeks. An evil grin tugged at the corner of Regina's mouth as an eyebrow rose. "I have no idea what I just said."

Regina continued to watch me as she leaned back in her seat. "You just said that you love me." Her eyes went from me to the empty beaker. "It seems you put too much of one ingredient and created a truth serum." We sat in silence a few minutes. "So, when were you going to tell me?"

I relaxed when I saw Regina wasn't mad or upset. "I wasn't." I bowed my head. "You never seemed to swing that way so…what would've been the point? You would've just rejected me."

"What did I say about putting words in my mouth Miss. Swan?" Her voice was stern and I couldn't help but wince. "Look at me." Regina's voice was softer now and I complied. Her eyes weren't as guarded as they normally were. "You know my past therefore you know about the one person I've ever loved romantically." I bit my lower lip. Here it comes. "Like you, Graham was a fling. He provided the release I needed. And before you open your mouth in debate, yes I could've taken care of it myself, but I wanted the human component. You can understand that I'm sure."

My cheeks started to burn again from the thought of Regina pleasuring herself. "Graham was a good man." Regina agreed with me. "Yes I can understand wanting the human component." Once again, we fell into silence. "Can you just hurry up and reject me so we can continue with the lesson?"

"Oh no. The serum will last at least half an hour more so I'm going to use it to my advantage. How long have you loved me? We obviously didn't get along when you first arrived in Storybrooke."

"And what makes you think I'll sit here and answer your questions?"

"Must you ask such a question?" With a wave of Regina's hand, I suddenly couldn't move. "Now you're strapped down. So answer my question."

I groaned as I felt the word vomit coming up. "I'm not sure. I just kinda realized it one day. Then when I thought you were going to die in the mines…that's when it really hit me." Regina listened as I rambled on about how I felt. "I always found you very attractive. Why else do you think I was so nervous when we first met? That and you have this presence that radiates off you."

"And what presence is that?" I could tell Regina was enjoying this little interrogation.

"A presence of independence and strength. Strong willed and stubborn." Regina smirked. "I could see that you were a woman who would do whatever you had to do to get what you wanted." I paused. "And you proved that when you tried to poison me." The invisible restraints tightened slightly with the last statement. "It's true."

"Watch it Miss. Swan. You're not in the position to be mouthy towards me." I couldn't tell if Regina was being entirely serious with me or not. There was something different in her voice and she was holding back an evil grin.

"So when are you going to let me out of here?" I didn't bother trying to move. I knew it was pointless. Regina said nothing. She just stood and walked around the table slowly. When she stopped in front of me I held my breath. "Regina?"

She leaned in close to whisper. "Find your own way out Emma dear." Her voice was a sexy purr that sent shivers racing through my body. From the evil glimmer in her eyes, I knew she heard me whimper. Before she turned to walk away, Regina placed a gentle but possessive kiss on my lips. I couldn't speak. All I could do was watch as she strutted towards the staircase that lead out of the crypt.

It took me about an hour to release myself from Regina's restraints. After that, I had to go take a cold shower to clear my head. That kiss Regina gave wasn't a joking one; it was possessive. She was claiming me as hers and I guess in a way that meant she felt the same way. I had to figure this out. "Oh there you are Emma. We were worried about you when you didn't come in with Regina." Mary Margaret caught me as I walked into Granny's.

"Uh yeah. We had to cut the," Henry was there so I had to think of something quick. "Meeting short. Uhm…where is Regina by the way?"

"She's in her office mate." I jumped when Hook came up behind me. "You alright Swan? You're jumpy."

"Yeah I'm fine. I just remembered I forgot to tell Regina something. You have the keys right Henry?" My son studied me a moment before answering.

"Yeah. I've got them. Though, Killian was going to take me on his boat tonight. Can I go?"

I looked from the pirate back to my son. "Yeah. Just be careful." I kissed Henry on the head quickly before heading out the door. When I got to Regina's office the door was locked. "Damn it." I ran my fingers through my hair. When I actually stopped to look at the door, there was a yellow sticky note.

_Took you long enough Miss. Swan. By now, I'm at home. Come if you'd like a drink ~Regina_

I mumbled as I made my way to Regina's. It seemed she was expecting me because when I pulled into her driveway, she opened the door. "I see you finally got free." Regina handed me an apple martini as I walked inside.

"Yeah. No thanks to you." I took a sip as I followed her into the den.

"I knew you could get out. That's the reason I left you there. You won't learn unless I make you do for yourself." Regina sat back in her chair and crossed her legs as she watched me.

"Yeah well, that kiss didn't help much either." Taking my place on the couch, I enjoyed the heat from the fireplace. "Where does that put us anyway? You know how I feel but that kiss was slightly unclear."

"How was it unclear?" Regina watched me from over the top of her martini glass.

I finished my martini before answering. "Well it wasn't a loving kiss. It was more possessive than anything." Before I could ask, Regina refilled my glass. "Thanks." I took a sip before continuing. "I mean, I know it's hard for you to show romantic love and…"

"Your parents would kill me if they found out." Regina refilled her glass.

"No, they wouldn't. I wouldn't let them. I love you Regina. And I don't care what my parents think." I bit my lip waiting for a response. Regina just watched me as she sipped on her second martini. Her eyes were burning into me but they were softer than normal.

"What do we do about Hook? He gives you yearning looks and doe eyes. And our son likes him." A small grin tugged at my mouth. "What?"

"He likes you more." I took another sip of my martini and relaxed back into the couch. "He likes you more than Hook."

"Oh. He does?" Regina's brow creased with this new information. "How do you know this?"

"We've talked. He sees how I look at you and he's compared that to Walt. Which, I can't help but wonder if you knew he was a flying monkey before you set me up with him. In some super complicated ingenious plan to make sure I fall for you."

Regina chuckled. "No dear, I knew if we ever were to meet again that you'd fall for me again."

I wasn't sure whether to be offended or not. Either way, I chuckled at Regina's matter-of-fact tone. "So, where do we go from here? I mean, we can't just walk into Granny's tomorrow and say "hey everyone, we're dating now."" I paused a moment and toyed with the empty glass. "I'd like to take you on a date at least…And show you how much I care." When Regina didn't reply, I got nervous and bit my bottom lip.

"That would be nice. I've actually never been on a date before. With Daniel we had to sneak around. With the king, I was just given to him basically. And with Graham, there wasn't any dating." I just stared. I wasn't sure why I was so shocked, I just was. Regina was a gorgeous woman so why hasn't someone shown her how a respectable woman should be treated. "What?"

"Nothing. I just…can't believe someone has never taken you on a date before. I mean, back in the enchanted forest I guess I could sorta understand because that was a different time but not here. I mean, yeah the fairytale stuff was gone and people didn't know what or how to really act…."

"Emma." I stopped babbling and gave Regina my attention. "The past doesn't matter. What matters is the future and how you make your next move."

"Well my next move will be showing you a wonderful night. And treating you like the queen you are." I paused because I knew my cheeks were turning pinkish. "I think I need to go. The martinis just hit me."

Regina chuckled. "Maybe you should stay here. I can bring you a blanket down and you can sleep on the couch." Regina and I both knew I could easily walk home but she invited me to stay. I wasn't about to say no.

"Thank you Regina."

XXX

The next morning I made sure to wake up early and make a fresh pot of coffee before Regina woke up. I rummaged through her cabinets to see what I could make for breakfast but there wasn't much. I had never made French toast with whole wheat bread before so this would be an experiment. As I finished making the last piece, I heard Regina coming down the stairs. "Morning."

Regina stopped in her tracks when she came around the corner. "What the hell are you doing in my kitchen?" Her voice was groggy and her hair was slightly messy. But somehow she still looked amazing.

"I wanted to thank you for letting me stay." I placed a cup of coffee and a plate of food in front of her. Regina stared at it a moment before picking up her fork.

"If you do this to say thank you, what kind of breakfast do you make after you have sex with someone?" Regina took a sip of the coffee and sighed as the caffeine made its way through her system. "Thank you for this."

"You're welcome." I joined her at the counter. "I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out. I've never made French toast with wheat bread before."

"It turned out well. And you got my coffee right. Not many people do." For the most part, we ate in silence. I refilled Regina's coffee mug and placed all the dishes in the dishwasher once we were done. "I need to get things done at the office and I'm sure there are things at the station you need to take care of."

"Yes. While I was gone David screwed up quite a bit." Finishing my coffee, I rinsed out the cup and set it in the sink. "I'm going to head out and I'll see you around."

Before I could open the door, Regina stopped me. "I'll be seeing you tonight for our date." I smiled back and agreed.

XXX

I couldn't close the door before Henry started interrogating me. "Where were you last night? You didn't come home. Were you with the Mayor?"

I hung my jacket before joining him on the couch. "The Mayor's. I know. And yes." I ruffled Henry's hair. "Being interrogated about my whereabouts," I chuckled. "And here I thought I was the Sheriff." I grabbed a piece of bacon from Henry's plate.

"Hey!" He reached for the bacon but I pulled it out of his reach. "Not fair! You probably had breakfast."

"I did. And when did you learn to cook?" I looked behind me and saw the spotless kitchen. "You ordered from Granny's didn't you?" A large, cheesy smile covered my son's face. "Smart kid."

"Trashed the bag already. So, how was your night with the Mayor?" The question was innocent coming from Henry but my cheeks still started to burn. "What?"

"We talked a lot." I propped my feet on the coffee table and stretched out.

"So, are you guys dating now?" My head tilted towards my son. "You are. When's the first date?"

"Tonight at seven. Will you be alright by yourself for a few hours? I'll make you dinner before I leave so you can warm it up when you're hungry."

"Sounds good." Henry fell silent as he took his plate to the kitchen. "Tell me about Regina. You said she was an old friend of yours. What is she like?"

Henry's question threw me off. I had to be very careful with what I told him. "She's nice and gentle when you get to know her. Until then, she's not so nice. But she's changed a lot since we first met." I continued to tell Henry about his mother. It was odd talking to Henry about Regina since he couldn't know who she really was yet.

"So if you're going to be dating Regina, what about Killian? I mean, he really likes you." Henry joined me back on the couch. He wouldn't take his eyes off me.

"I think he knows already that I have feelings for Regina. Everyone in town sees the way I look at her apparently."

"They do." I groaned at my son's reply and hit him with a small throw pillow. His cheesy grin just grew.

Xxx

As I made my way up the pathway to Regina's door I got butterflies. Thankfully, Regina must have seen me walking up because she opened the door for me. Her brow furrowed when she saw the two dozen roses in my arms. "Not that I'm not flattered but, first you make me breakfast and now two dozen roses. Don't you think you're over doing it a tad?"

I couldn't help but chuckle as I handed a set to Regina. "Actually Henry got one of the dozen and I got the other. He didn't think I'd bring you roses on our first date." The mention of Henry brought a soft smile to the brunette's face. Sadly it faded as fast as it came. "Regina…"

She held up a hand to keep me from continuing. "I know what you're going to say." She paused. "And I know we will but it still hurts." I gave Regina a sympathetic smile before following her inside. "Thank you for the roses. Luckily I have more than one vase." I watched as she trimmed the stems of the flowers before placing them in a vase. "You're watching me. Why?"

"Sorry." I looked down and leaned against the counter. "You just look really nice. I've never seen that dress before."

"It's new. I needed some retail therapy last week and ordered it online." Regina's dress was jet black and hugged her curves. It ended a few inches above her knees. The top wrapped around her neck and was backless. A pair of strappy heels completed the outfit. Each strap was accented with small studs.

"It's very nice." I suddenly felt very under dressed. I wore a simple blue leather dress and black heels.

"Thank you. Shall we go?" I followed Regina out the door and to her car. The whole time I couldn't take my eyes off Regina's sexy back. I wondered what it would feel like to have the soft skin under my hands and lips. "We'll take my car. I'd rather us not die in that metal death trap of yours."

"Hey you let me keep it so you must subconsciously like it." Regina smirked as she slid into the driver's seat. I closed her door and climbed into the passenger seat.

"No I let you keep the bug because you seem to love it. And it's very…you." Regina kept her eyes on the road as she pulled out of her driveway. I knew she could feel my eyes watching her. "What?"

"Just what you said. What else is "very me?"" Regina smirked at my air quotations.

"Your signature leather jackets, your coffee addiction, and your horrible eating habits." I couldn't help but chuckle at the list that went through Regina's mind.

"But you love it. You just won't admit it." Regina rolled her eyes at the cheesy grin I shot her.

It was her turn to chuckle. "You're delusional Miss. Swan." We continued to talk as Regina drove. Thankfully the Tai food place wasn't packed when we pulled up. We were seated immediately. Neither of us sure if that was because she was the Mayor and I am the Sheriff or if we were just lucky. "When you mentioned Tai food I was surprised. I didn't know you ate anything other than grilled cheese or burgers." Regina smirked as she opened her menu. I could see she was holding back a grin.

"Smartass." I rolled my eyes with a chuckle. "I try new things on occasion." Regina's eyes moved from the menu to me. "Not fish. Anything but fish or sea food."

"I'll keep that in mind." The waiter came to take our orders and brought us each a chocolate martini.

"So, what did you and Henry talk about when you went for ice cream?" I was nervous sitting here with Regina. We have been alone together before but not on a date. And not when she knows I love her.

Regina's brow furrowed. "He didn't tell you?" I shook my head. "Hmm. Interesting. Well, we talked about you and Walt. He could see that you weren't truly happy with him; especially after he saw us together." I could feel my cheeks start to burn. "Since you introduced me as an old friend, he asked if we dated." My mouth dropped and my eyes grew. I couldn't speak.

"I can't believe he asked you that." I covered my face with my hands. "No wonder he didn't tell me." Regina chuckled at my dismay. "I'm going to kill our son."

"He's always been a very inquisitive boy. He gets that from me. And he's always been very blunt also. I believe he gets that from both of us."

"I guess." I fell silent and started chewing my bottom lip. "Regina, I…," She watched me from over the rim of her martini glass. "Thank you. You saved all of us countless times and no one has properly thanked you for it. I mean, you gave up Henry to save him from Pan's curse."

"And you." My brow furrowed. "I did it to save you also. Henry needed one of us to protect him and I knew you would love him for the both of us. It hurts seeing him and him not knowing I'm his mother. I miss hugging him, ruffling his hair, and tucking him in at night." A lump formed in my throat. I could see the pain in Regina's eyes and it broke my heart.

"When he gets his memories back, I'm sure he'll want to spend time with you to make up for the year you lost. Should we get his room ready for a teenager before he moves back in?" Shock and happiness shined in Regina's dark eyes.

"You're going to let him live with me?" Our food came and it smelt heavenly.

"Of course I am. You're his mother too. And he loves you." We continued to discuss Henry moving back in. Saturday is when we decided to redecorate his room. I would have Hook take him out on the Jolly Roger while we worked. It was ten before we started back towards Regina's. As I stood on her porch waiting for her to open the door, I swayed from foot to foot. "I've had a good time. I hope you have too." My voice was small.

"I've had a nice time as well. Would you like to come in for a glass of cider?" Regina pushed open the door and lead us to the kitchen.

"Thank you." I nursed the cider as I watched Regina pour herself a glass. "We'll have to do this again. Henry would kill me if I screwed up and didn't get a second date."

Regina chuckled as she leaned against the counter. "Come now Emma, using our son as a reason to get a second date. Do you really think that would work?"

"No but it was worth a shot." I watched at Regina set her glass on the counter and walked towards me.

"It was. But no; you don't need him to get a second date." I jumped when Regina let her hand rest on my hip. "Thank you for the wonderful night." I didn't dare move as Regina leaned in to place a gentle kiss on my lips. When Regina deepened the kiss and ran her tongue along my bottom lip I was nervous but excited at the same time. I shivered when Regina's hand moved to the small of my back and she pulled me against her. A moan escaped my throat when she nibbled on my bottom lip. My hands slid up Regina's toned back. Her skin was so soft and warm. I let one rest on the small of her back as the other tangled in her long hair.

"Regina…" I finally pulled back from the kiss. I needed air and to get out of here before this went any farther. I whimpered when Regina nibbled at my pulse point. "I need to go." Regina's brow furrowed as she looked at me. "We can't…not now…not yet. I don't want to screw this up. You're not a one night stand or a fling and I want to prove that to you before we take that leap." She continued to watch me. "Please don't hate me for this." When her hands fell, dread filled me. "R-Regina?"

"I understand." With each passing second that Regina didn't say something, anything, I grew more nervous. "I'll see you tomorrow. Coffee at Granny's before work?" The soft smile Regina gave set me at ease.

"Sounds wonderful."

Xxx

The next morning, Henry and I went to Granny's early to order breakfast. Butterflies filled my stomach when I saw Regina's BMW pull into the parking lot. I watched as she strode into the diner. Panic overcame me when she smirked after she saw us. "Mom, what did you do?" Henry's voice was hushed.

"I don't know." I watched as Regina came our way. "Good morning…"

"When did you do it? And how did you do it?" Regina's voice was stern and I sunk down in my seat. The diner went quiet. I knew exactly what she was talking about. Last night as she walked out the door I slipped a small box into her coat pocket. In the box was a silver tree necklace with a red heart charm beside the tree. I had left a really sappy note in the box too. "Miss. Swan, answer me."

"Last night before we left for the Tai place." My voice was almost a whisper. Regina continued to watch me with her arms folded across her chest. Since she's not wearing it, I guess she didn't like it. "Since you seem to be rather irritated right now, I'm guessing you didn't like it."

"Actually," Regina reached towards her neck and laced a finger under a silver chain. When she tugged on it the necklace I gave her was revealed. "I do like it. When I was a young girl, I had a tree necklace exactly like this but it was gold. Daniel had given that one to me." Regina gave me a soft smile. I could see the nostalgia in her eyes as she ran her fingers over the tree. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Please, take a seat." Regina obliged and the people continued on with their previous conversations. "I ordered coffee. Wasn't sure what you ate for breakfast."

"Well obviously I eat French toast…"

"You made her French toast? That's so not fair!" Henry whined.

"Henry shhh people can hear you. And yes, I made her French toast." Our son looked from me to Regina.

"Wow, she really does like you." The blood drained from my face and my eyes grew wide.

"Henry!" I covered my face with my hands and just bowed my head. My son lives to embarrass me. Regina chuckled. "I'm gonna kill him."

"You'll do no such thing." I could feel Regina's playful grin. Ruby brought the coffee and took our orders. We ate and Henry grilled Regina about our date. She gave him a slightly edited version of last night's events. "Well I need to get to work. It was nice seeing the two of you. We'll have to do dinner one day."

"That would be great!" Henry beamed. "Can you cook lasagna?" Regina and I stopped and stared at our son; both of us wondering if some memories had come back somehow. "Mom's tried but failed miserably."

Regina gave Henry one of her award-winning smiles and chuckled lightly. "Yes I can. It's one of my best dishes actually. You can ask Emma; anytime I've made it she's eaten at least three helpings." My cheeks turned red when Regina glanced at me. "I'll come over sometime in the next few days and cook for the two of you."

"That sounds great!" Regina smiled at Henry once more before turning to leave. I offered to walk Regina out so I could speak with her.

"I never ate three helpings of your lasagna." I jogged forward so I could open Regina's door.

"You're the one who finished it at the welcome home party. Don't think I didn't see you. I AM the Mayor after all." She stood close to me with her back to the opened door.

"Yeah yeah yeah. You've got eyes everywhere. I remember." I couldn't help but grin. "So tomorrow I'll have Hook take Henry for the day so we can redo his room. Have a good day okay?"

"I will Emma. You as well." Regina leaned in and kissed me softly. We could hear cheers coming from inside the diner. "And yes, be at my place around ten and I'll have fresh coffee and breakfast waiting for you." I smiled as Regina slid into the driver's seat. "Get to work Sheriff Swan."

XXX

The next morning, I dropped Henry off with Hook. Henry ran onto the ship after Hook gave him his own spyglass. I watched as my son climbed up to the bird's nest and opened the telescope. He started looking around. "Thanks for doing this Hook." My voice was hushed so Henry wouldn't hear.

"You're welcome Swan. I enjoy the lad being around. He reminds me a lot of Neal at his age. Besides, I can watch him while you and Regina have your alone time to play cops and robbers." I punched Hook playfully in the shoulder when he winked at me.

"You're horrible." I rolled my eyes at the pirate.

"It's all part of my charm. Sadly, you never gave into it." He gave me a soft smile. "I am glad you've found your happiness Emma. Now, go after your Queen."

I waved to Henry before I left. "Feed my son at least once before you take him home please." He laughed as I made my way back to the bug. I was excited to spend time with Regina. Now that she knew how I felt it was easier being around her; especially since the feelings were reciprocated. When I knocked on the door, Regina told me to come in. The smell of fresh coffee and food filled my nostrils as I made my way into the kitchen. "Wow. It smells amazing in here."

"Well I am cooking Miss. Swan." Regina winked at me from over her shoulder. As I made my way towards her I saw the plate of freshly cooked bacon beside the stove. "Good morning Emma."

"Morning beautiful." I placed a soft kiss on her lips and tried to grab a piece of bacon while I had her distracted.

"You can wait." Regina smacked my hand with the spatula before I could grab a piece.

"Oh come on. One piece." Regina smirked. She wasn't going to give in. I grumbled and saw she had set out a coffee mug for me.

"You forget I raised your son so I know the look in his eyes when he's trying to be sneaky." Regina continued to cook as I stuck my tongue out at her. "Put the tongue back in your mouth or you won't get any food."

"Or maybe you could give me something else to do with my tongue." I could feel Regina's dark eyes burning into my back as I made myself a cup of coffee. She chuckled darkly when I shivered. "How did…You know everything. Right." I could feel Regina's triumphant grin.

"How is Henry? You did feed him before sending him with the pirate, correct?" I continued to watch Regina cook the pancakes before I answered.

"Well yes. The cooking skills you gave me in the fake memories are starting to fade but I do remember some. I told Hook to feed him at least once before bringing him home."

"Well at least I know he got one good meal today. I'll cook something to send home with you tonight." Regina paused. I'm sure she could feel my eyes burning into her. "So, how did your parents take the news of us together? I know they saw us kiss before I left the diner."

I groaned remembering Mary Margaret's freak out. "David was…okayish with it. Mary Margaret…freaked. She screamed its porn over and over. Thankfully they waited to confront me about it after Henry was off with Leroy and his gang." I set the table as Regina brought the food. "This looks and smells amazing."

"Thank you. Pass me your plate and I'll put some pancakes on it." I did as she instructed. I could see she missed taking care of someone so I didn't dispute the fact I could serve myself. I chuckled when Regina automatically put bacon on my plate. "With you and meat I don't even have to ask."

"Nope." We started to eat and oh my God this was delicious. "Aaah this is Awesome." My head tilted back and a goofy grin tugged at my lips.

"I'm guessing you enjoy it?" Regina watched me before putting maple syrup on her pancakes.

"Oh yes." We continued eating and I helped clean up once we were done. "Thanks for breakfast. I knew you were an good cook but you keep surprising me."

"I'm full of surprises. You just have to wait for them." Regina stiffened slightly when I wrapped my arms around her from behind.

"And I'll be here for each and every one of them." I set my chin on Regina's shoulder and she relaxed into my embrace. "I truly do love you Regina." I placed a kiss on her shoulder and rested my forehead there. She smelt like apples and something else. It was her perfume and I loved the calming effect it had on me.

"We better get started on Henry's room." Regina's voice was light. It was as if she didn't want to speak too loudly in fear of scaring me off. Or destroying this happy moment.

**"****Yeah. We better." As my arms fell, I instantly missed the feeling of Regina against me. "So, what do you have planned?" Regina watched as I rolled up my sleeves. "What?" **

"Just surprised you're not wearing a tank top for once in your life." Regina brushed passed me and started to ascend the staircase.

"I am wearing one. It's just under this shirt." I laughed as Regina shook her head.

I knew she smirked at my response. "Of course you do." Once we started on Henry's room, Regina told me stories about his childhood. I'm not sure why she shared the stories with me but I could see just how much Regina loved him. We needed to get his memories back soon. If we could find that damn storybook that would help a lot. "If you'd like, when we're done, I can bring out a few boxes of stuff Henry made when he was younger. And picture albums."

I just watched as Regina placed a box in the closet. "I would love that." We continued to chat while we worked on his room. It was close to four when we were finally done.

"How about I make an early dinner for us? And you can take some of what's left to Henry." Regina and I made our way back downstairs. I was burning up. As we walked into the kitchen, I pulled my shirt over my head. Regina paused when she turned and saw me in my black tank top.

"An early dinner sounds great. I'm starving." Regina's eyes darkened slightly when she saw my arms. "Regina?"

She shook her head slightly and closed her eyes a second. "I'll start the lasagna." I smiled inwardly knowing Regina enjoyed seeing me in tank tops. I had the feeling she did but wasn't sure.

"Can I help?" Regina eyed me a moment before agreeing to let me help. As I placed the noodles in the pan my phone rang. "Hey kid what's up?" Regina glanced at me and I gave her a nod letting her know it was Henry. "I'm at Regina's helping to make lasagna. Don't worry; Regina's making it I'm just handing her stuff." Henry chuckled and asked if it was okay for him to join us for dinner. Regina agreed with a simple nod. "Yeah have David bring you over. See you in a bit."

"I guess he gets his wish of having my famous lasagna sooner than we thought." Regina finished preparing the dish and put it in the oven. After setting the timer, we made our way into the den. "Here are a few albums from when Henry was younger. And this one was from when he was seven to ten." Regina joined me on the couch as I flipped through the pictures. Henry looked exactly like he did in my fake memories. I listened as Regina told me stories behind some of the pictures. Love was clear in her voice.

Both of us jumped when there was a knock at the door. As we walked out of the den, the front door opened. "Mom! Where are…oh," Henry smiled as he saw us. "Hey. It smells awesome in here."

Regina chuckled softly as Henry hung his coat. "You are your mother's child." Henry just smiled as I ruffled his hair. I could feel Regina's longing to hug Henry when she saw me do it. I felt bad the second I noticed. "We have about fifteen minutes before I take the lasagna out. Would you like a tour of the house?"

"Sure!" I followed as Regina took us room to room. I didn't know she had a piano and could play it. As we made our way upstairs, dread consumed me as we passed Henry's room. I believe Regina shared the feeling when we passed the cracked door. His eyes grew as we entered the 'small' library. "Wow. Look at all these books." Regina and I watched as Henry let his fingers slide against the leather bindings of the older books. As he turned towards us, something caught his eye. "What's that?" We took a step towards the reading chair that was in the corner. Henry bent down to pick something up that had been pushed under the black leather chair. "It's a book…" Our eyes grew wide when we saw the binding. It was the storybook! Henry's eyes glazed over and he froze as he held the book in his hands. We rushed towards him when he began to fall.

Henry!" Regina was able to catch him before his head hit the floor. "Henry!" She tried shaking him gently but there was no response. I knelt beside them. "Henry, please wake up." Regina's voice was strained and there were tears glistening in her dark eyes. "Please," Regina placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

"M-mom?" Neither of us answered him. We weren't sure what he saw when he touched the book. When his eyes opened and he saw Regina they lit up. "Mom!" He moved quickly and wrapped his arms around her neck.

"Oh Henry." She brought him into a strong embrace and rocked him slightly. "You remember me." She kissed his cheek and let her chin rest on the top of his head. "I love you Henry. I'll never send you away again." I snuck out of the library when I heard the timer go off. They needed some alone time together.

I placed the lasagna on the stove and started to set the table. I'm sure they were up there talking about New York. When I heard them starting down the stairs my phone rang and it was David. "Hey David, is everything alright?" He asked what happened because everyone suddenly remembered the past year. "It was Regina." Henry and Regina stopped as they rounded the corner into the kitchen. "She kissed Henry and broke the curse. We'll handle Zelena tomorrow. Tonight I'm going to have dinner with my family."


End file.
